Is Chewing Ice Bad for Your Teeth?

Last updated: August 6, 2017 by A.Muradov (Dental Expert Team)

Opportunities are that you have actually crunched your way gladly through an ice or more on celebration. Those little melted chips of frozen delight that prowl at the bottom of a high glass of your favorite drink can be hard to withstand.

And for a few of us, consuming ice covered with a flavored syrup (Shave Ice in Hawaii, Italian Ice in New york city City, Water Ice in Philly, Raspa in Texas, Granita to the Sicilians among us, Slushies, Snow Cones and Snowballs to everybody else), is an unmissable summer season custom. Summertime without a moist white paper cup of lemon ice is just a lost season of sweaty sadness.

However if you were addicted to ice, you ‘d be chomping your method through a few bags of ice daily, all year.

Chewing Ice

Committed ice chewers crave ice like a cigarette smoker needs a cigarette. They have favorite places to purchase ice (Sonic ice appears to be the Web’s ice-chewing population’s # 1 option). They have sites devoted to recording their wintry obsession. The truly hardcore might even buy snow-cone makers for home use, or discover themselves “scraping buildup off freezer walls for a fix.”

But, OK, to each their own, right? And chewing ice looks like it would be a quite safe activity, apart from bothersome others with the perpetual crunching. But the sad reality is that gnawing on cubes can be a sign of severe health condition, and can destroy your teeth and harm your gums.

Read on to learn how you can break the habit and conserve your smile from the frigid accept of your icy little overlords.

Why Chew Ice?

“Pica” is the medical term for yearning and chewing on products that have little or no nutritional worth – such as ice, dirt, clay, chalk, paper, paint, sand and rocks. Medical specialists have recorded the condition over thousands of years. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates of Kos discussed pregnant women’s “desire to eat earth or charcoal” back in the Fifth century B.C. A Sixth century A.D. medical book describes patients craving excessively hot or salted foods, along with dirt, eggshells and ashes.

Chewing on ice is the most typical form of pica and is called pagophagia. Compulsive ice chewing is increasingly thought about to be a symptom of anemia, particularly iron shortage anemia (there are more than 400 types of anemia).

A recent research study suggests that, for those with inadequate iron, eating ice acts like a cup of strong coffee. Anemics often report feeling tired out and foggy-brained due to their bodies failure to produce adequate oxygen-carrying hemoglobin.

Our bodies have a hardwired reaction to being immersed in cold water. Our heart rates sluggish, the capillary in our legs and arms constrict. The concept is to keep the brain fed with oxygen, along with securing the body’s other core functions. Researchers think that the cold shock provided by chewing ide may press better-oxygenated blood to the brain, which would help individuals with anemia feel awake and focused. Sipping on ice water does not produce the precise same perky sensation.

Other reasons to chew ice include relief for a dry mouth, stopping cigarettes, stress relief, monotony or an attempt to cut down on food intake in order to reduce weight.

Is Chewing Ice Bad for Your Teeth?

Ice munching won’t destroy your health like other dependencies will. However the dental damage that originates from chewing on ice frequently consist of cracked and chipped teeth, damage to tooth enamel, problems with existing dental work such as fillings and crowns, and sore jaw muscles.

You may also find your teeth become extremely conscious cold and hot beverages and foods, and are more prone to cavities.

Quitting The Ice Chewing Habit

Get a physical check up to see if you have anemia or another issue that is causing you to yearn for ice. Practically every ice-addicted anemic reports that their yearning to chew cubes is gone when they get appropriate treatment for their medical condition.

If you’ve chosen to chew on ice due to dry mouth issues or kicking the tobacco routine, attempt switching to cold beverages and/or popsicles ahead. To avoid weight gain and cavities, look for unsweetened popsicles … you can even make your very own with a little bit of fruit juice for taste and frozen water.

If all else stops working, or you don’t want to quit your frosty fun practice, you may consider switching to slush. If you should chew ice, you’re likely to cause the least damage by sticking with finely shaved or semi-melted slivers of ice rather than cubes or chunks.

Dental care is vital to reduce and fix the damage that can be triggered by chewing ice. If you have actually been delaying seeing a dental professional due to cost, you’ll be happy to know that their cost effective alternative to paying of pocket and costly insurance: a dental cost savings prepare from: DentalPlans. Members save 10% -60% on dental treatments – from emergency situation care to check-ups, root canals and crowns, repairs for chipped teeth and cavities, even orthodontia.

Can Chewing Ice Cause Jaw Pain?

Question: I’ve been chewing ice considering that I was a child. Now I’m 24 and my jaw truly harms every time I do it. Does this mean I need to stop? Could I have caused some deeper issue?

Answer: Things to consider include whether you have seen any chips, fractures or modifications in the appearance of your teeth? Have you noticed any increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods? These are all things to go over with your dental professional who will use this information together with your medical history and presenting symptoms to decide upon the proper work up and treatment for this. This might include imaging studies and an evaluation of your teeth.

In basic, the majority of dentists concur that chewing ice can damage the enamel on your teeth, and put stress on the joint that holds your jaw to your face, likewise called the TMJ joint. It is for this factor that it is usually not recommended that people chew ice, and if you have been doing this for a long time, it might need some work to break yourself of this routine. That your jaw is injuring is a sign that your body might be telling you to stop chewing ice. Once again, it is important to discuss this with your dental expert who will best be able to respond to any concerns or concerns that you might have and also how to break this practice.